Molly Goes To College
by PrincessTriSarahTops
Summary: Molly McIntire leaves her hometown in Jefferson, IL for Boston, MA where she'll study medicine at Harvard University. Molly worries about leaving her friends and family behind, but she's in for a pleasant surprise when she meets her new roommate.


"Take care, Molly!" Molly's Dad said as he hugged her good-bye on the train platform.

"I will." Eighteen year old Molly nodded before wrapping her mother, in a hug.

"Make sure you eat enough!" Mrs. McIntire insisted.

"I will." Molly rolled her eyes. She didn't see what the big deal was. Jill had gone off to cosmetology school four years ago and Ricky had left for the army two years after that. Molly was the third McIntire to leave the nest and she'd thought by now Mom and Dad wouldn't make such a fuss.

"Promise you'll write often?" Molly's fifteen year old, younger brother, Brad asked.

"Yes, I promise. At least once a week." Molly nodded. "I've got to go now or I'll miss the train." She said picking up her plaid suitcase. Saying her final goodbyes, Molly boarded her train bound for Boston. It had seemed like a miracle when two months ago an acceptance letter from Harvard University had arrived for Molly. She'd applied for several school's medical programs and had been absolutely stunned when the acceptance had come. Settling herself in her train seat, Molly's thoughts turned to all she was leaving behind in Jefferson.

Molly's friend Linda, ever the practical one of their childhood trio, had married young and was living happily with her husband of two years, Charles. The girl's other best friend, Susan, had kept up with dance classes through their life and now ran the dance studio in town. Jill had graduated from cosmetology school, met a boy named David and moved in to a Californian apartment with him. It had been some time since anyone had heard from Ricky, but he seemed happy when they'd last received a letter.

After a nearly three day long train ride, Molly had arrived in Boston. Using some of the pocket money she'd been saving up, Molly hailed a cab and soon enough arrived at the University. Exhausted from her long journey, Molly searched through her paperwork, looking for the name of her dorm building.

"Hi! I'm Helen! What's your name?" A surprisingly upbeat girl greeted Molly as she neared the front of her dorm building.

"Molly." She answered quickly. "Molly McIntire."

"Super!" Helen said digging through her own pile of paperwork. "McIntire...McIntire...oh here you are!" Helen said removing a violet piece of paper from an overwhelming stack. "You volunteered for random roommate selection?" Helen asked looking up from the form.

"Y-yes." Molly bit her lip, only wondering now if this had been a mistake.

"You'll be in 218. That's on the second floor. When you come up the stairs, it will be in the hallway on your left side. You're roommate's name is Emily, she's already checked in." Helen smiled. "Go on and get yourself settled, the next orientation presentation is at 4 o'clock."

"Thank you." Molly took the lavender paper from Helen and entered the building. _Emily._ Molly repeated to herself as she ambled up the stairs. When Molly was ten, the McIntires had taken in an English girl named Emily. Emily's parents had sent her to American to escape the London bombings during World War II. Once the war had ended, Emily returned home with her parents. During their time together Emily and Molly had grown close. But once Emily returned home, letters were the only way for the two to communicate. As the girls got older, the letters were few and far between, soon stopping all together. She didn't remember who had stopped writing first, but Molly understood they'd both just become busy with their own lives.

Molly wished she had Emily or even Susan with her here now as she reached the top of the stairs. Emily and Susan were both good at reminding Molly about the great things that could come with change. If Susan were here, she'd tell Molly to imagine her new roommate comes from a far off land or some other romantic idea. Emily would remind her that the two of them didn't get along so well at first either and that this new Emily would likely become a wonderful friend. Turning left, Molly started reading the numbers posted on the propped open doors.

"Two-fourteen, two-sixteen...two-eighteen." Molly said reading the copper numbers tacked to the closed door in front of her. It was only then that Molly realized Helen hadn't given her a key. Hoping that "new Emily", as Molly had dictated her in her head, would be inside; she knocked. Nervously fiddling with one of her two long hair braids, Molly waited anxiously for her roommate to answer the door. A red haired girl with soft blue eyes opened the door. In a nervous panic, Molly shot her eyes to the floor and collected her suitcase.

"My word, I'm know those braids anywhere!" New Emily said in a familiar cadence. Molly's eyes shot up in surprise.

"Emily!" Without thinking, Molly flung her arms around the neck of her British friend. Emily hugged her back, surprised to Molly at her door.

"What are you doing here?" the two said at the same time. The girls laughed. Molly revealed how she'd come to Boston to study medicine like her father had done. Emily told her how she'd missed America after returning home, and she'd come back to study Politics. Both girls were overjoyed to have their old friend back in their lives.


End file.
